3 June 2011 - 9 June 2011

3 June 2011

We start our next leg of the journey today - off across the Nullarbor - we are all very excited about it - a first for all of us and not really sure what to expect along the way.  Nullarbor literally means no trees and we have heard some people say it's boring and others love it so we will have to make our own decision about what we think of it. 

We took off by about 12:30 and were hoping to get to Kulin tonight but there were a few hiccups with the turbo on our car and we had to pull over a few times along the way.  One of the times we were pulled over we had three people stop to offer help - wow!!  It's amazing how things change once you get out into the country.  We only made it as far as Corrigan.  One of the stops we made for a pee break was at Quairading where they had free hot showers in the public toilets - good to note for future reference!  We stayed in the caravan park at Corrigin which was a nice park and cost the four of us $40 for the night to stay there ($28 for 2 plus $6 per person). 

4 June 2011

We left by 9:30ish and went to Kulin where they have coin operated hot showers in the public loos there.  Heading out of Kulin there is the Tin Horse Highway which is just out of Kulin where the local farmers have spent the past 15 years trying to outdo each other by decorating the roadside with tin horses - what a hoot - we had a top morning.  We also stopped at Gorge Rock which was okay but nothing to write home about.  We then headed for Jillakin Rock for lunch and then headed for Wave Rock but we got there fairly late so we decided to stay at the Wave Rock Caravan Park overnight and go and look at the rock in the morning.  Lovely caravan park, a bit more expensive than we normally pay but the price included free entry into the rock. 

5 June 2011

We were up early and had brekky and partly packed before we headed off to look at the rock - it was quite phenomenal and once you have looked at Wave Rock itself you can go hiking up on top of it and there is a bunch of other stuff to look at.  It's quite a climb but wasn't stopping Mother - she had her hiking boots on and she was away!!  We had a beaut morning and when we got back from Wave Rock Ross and I jumped ont he bikes and headed off to see Hippo's Yawn and follow a couple of other tracks around the place.  We got back, had morning tea, finished packing up and hit the road again. 

We went the back way from Hyden to Kalgoorlie via a very nice dirt road.  We stopped for a pee break again at the Shell servo at Yellowdine where they had showers also.  We pushed on and got to Lake Douglas campground just 12 km west of Kalgoorlie just before dark.  In the camps book it says there are fire pits at Lake Douglas - it is a huge camp area but we could only see one fire pit and it was already being used but it was a big fire pit and we chatted to the people using it and they were more than  happy to share which was great.because it was freezing!!  It sprinkled rain overnight. 

6 June 2011

Still drizzling rain so we moved the van over near the tent and put the annexe up to make a bigger living area.  WE then went into the Information Centre and had a wander around town but being a public holiday there was nothing open and nobody around so we went back to camp. 

7 June 2011

WE went and had a look at the Super Pit which was quite spectacular by OMG it was windy and COLD!!  Poor mother didn't have a good jacket so we headed back into town to try to find one for her so she doesn't freeze to death while we are here.  We went to historic Burke Street and had a look in the Super Pit shop and wandered around and then did a bit of shopping and we found a coat for Mother at Vinnies. 

8 June 2011

Still miserable - Lester went into town but the rest of us stayed put. 

9 June 2011

Much nicer today.  The boys went and checked out the local museums while us girls headed to the laundry.  We asked at the Information Centre about the laundries in town and were told there were four.  The first one we went to was closed permanently, the second was a bit dicey but we thought we could come back to it if we couldn't find a better one, the third one was a commercial laundry and the last one was back on Burke Street and was a fantastic one - beautiful stainless steel machines and friendly staff to help.  It was a bit pricey compared to other laundries but we fitted the whole lot in two loads whereas if we had been at a normal laundry it probably would have taken four loads so it didn't end up expensive anyway.